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States that applied in the second round of bidding for waivers from some requirements of No Child Left Behind did better than many first-round applicants of explaining their plans to meet the needs of English-language learners and students in special education, this analysis shows. However, of 26 states that applied in the second round, just nine met requirements for implementing new teacher-evaluation systems and fewer than 50% are incorporating subjects other than reading and math as part of their school-accountability systems, analysts found.

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If teacher Ariel Sacks was not preparing to administer a practice reading test to her students, she would be organizing a student-led debate about banned books. While the debate teaches many skills they will be tested on, Sacks writes that with the reading exams just weeks away, she needs to help her students prepare. It feels like a "loss," she writes, while considering how that time could be better used to help students learn.

Some Colorado educators are concerned about plans to implement a new teacher-evaluation system on time in 2013. The system currently is being piloted in 27 districts, with some educators finding numerous challenges to implementing the process amid resources already strained by ongoing budget cuts. "I think it's fair to say most people feel overwhelmed," said Sandra Smyser, superintendent of the Eagle County Schools.

The Adams 50 school district in Colorado, since 2008, has been using a competency-based learning system in some of its schools, where students work on material aligned with their levels of development and move on only after demonstrating mastery. The initiative has produced some success stories, including Hodgkins Elementary School, which improved its status from "turnaround" to "improvement" in one school year. However, challenges exist, such as meeting state testing requirements and applying the approach to high schools.

Pedro Noguera and Wade Boykin, presenters at the recent ASCD annual conference, discussed ways in which schools and educators can help address the opportunity gap among minority and low-income students. Noguera warned against using special education as a "place" to funnel students with special needs, and cited examples of schools that are meeting the needs of underserved students by focusing on creating positive conditions for learning. Boykin stressed the importance of teacher-student relationships as part of the effort to close achievement gaps.

The deadline to apply for a second round of waivers from No Child Left Behind is Feb. 28, and states are looking to the results of the first round when shaping their latest proposals. Blogger Michele McNeil writes that the common mistakes made in first-round applications included a lack of collaboration with stakeholders, such as teachers unions; weak plans to help students with disabilities or English-language learners; and problems with new grading systems.